I have taken several tactical training classes over the last 15 years from several different trainers. Some were Military only classes, some were Law Enforcement only classes, and others were a mix of Military, Law Enforcement and civilian students.
During Tactical Pistol courses I have observed some students make drastic changes and switch to a new weapon platform either during or after the class. Other students make less dramatic changes, like change their sights or buy a different holster. For the most part pistols are fairly simple weapon systems, and the accessories are for the most part fairly simple.
After taking several Tactical Carbine courses that the Carbine is much more complex than the pistol, the accessories seem to be never ending, and many new shooters don't know where to start. From the classes that I have attended, I have observed that the M16 / AR15 / M4 carbine platform seems to be the weapon system that dominates these classes. What follows are some things that I have learned in the last 15 years that may help the new shooter with the M16 / AR15 / M4 carbine platform.
What you want to bring to a Tactical Carbine Course:
-USE QUALITY USA MADE AMMO, such as Federal, Winchester, etc. Do not take surplus, Wolf, etc. to a class. One of the worst mistakes I see are shooters spending good money on training and then showing up with cheap ammo, and they have nothing but ammo realted malfunctions the entire class. An example of this is we had 4 guys that were shooting "Olympic" brand ammo, and their guns were jamming every couple of rounds the entire class, this slowed things down for the rest of us. (XM193, Federal American Eagle, Winchester White Box, IMI if you can find it, etc.....as a general rule stay away from surplus, Wolf, Federal loose packed PD stuff, and other crappy ammo)
-MASTER YOUR IRON SIGHTS FIRST. Many guys prefer optics, and they have many advantages over iron sight. Like many things, optics are prone to failure, thus it important to know how to use your iron sights. Once you have mastered the iron sights then and only then consider moving up to optics.
-USE QUALITY U.S. GOVERMENT ISSUE (USGI) MAGAZINES that are in good servicable condition. Stay away from aftermarket magazines, more often than not they will cause nothing but problems. A couple of things that I do to my all of magazines to enhance reliability is use the Wolff Gunsprings Xtra power magazine springs in my mags. I replace the black or green followers with the new coyote MAGPUL Enhanced followers. If you have the time prior to the class, take the mags to the range and make sure they work good. Nothing worse then showing up to class with crappy mags and having your gun malfunction on a constant basis due to bad magazines.
-LEARN TO PROPERLY CLEAN, LUBRICATE, AND MAINTAIN YOUR RIFLE / CARBINE. I recommend the US Army or USMC M16A2 technical manual to new shooters, these manuals will show you how to properly clean, lubricate, and maintain your AR15. On the first day of class make sure you show up with a properly cleaned and lubed carbine. Everyday after class clean, and lube your carbine. In most Tactical Carbine Courses you will shoot approximately 500 to 800 per day, everyday. A USGI cleaning kit has everything that you need in it to properly clean, maintain, and lube your carbine.
-Buy a quality rifle / carbine and don't try to build one. In the classes that I have been to approximately 90%+ of the "built" guns have gone tit's up. Last year in a carbine course, the instructor took a poll. Of over 20 students, 12 or so had "built" rifles (all AR-15's) and of those 12 100% of them went tits up during the class. The rest of the guys had factory built guns and none of the factory built guns went tits up. That is not to say that I haven't seen a factory gun go tit's up, it just happens a lot less than with a gun that is built from parts from different manufacturers. Stick with the "Tier 1 manufacturers" ie. Colt, Bushmaster, and Rock River Arms as a general rule.....and make sure the gun has a chrome lined barrel.
-I always recommend having a gun that has 1,000 rounds through it prior to coming to class. If there are any problems (ie. loose gas key, etc) they will usually arise in the first 1,000 rounds. I have seen some guys show up to class with a brand new gun and put 1,000 rounds down range without a problem, and I have seen other brand new guns that have some teething problems the first day because they are brand new, but start settling down the second day. Along with this "break in" period, it also let's the shooter know what ammo and mags the gun does or doesn't like. If you shoot the first 1,000 rounds with Federal American Eagle 223 and 5 USGI mags with no problems, then take that same ammo and those same 5 magazines to the class.
-If you have access to a second AR, take it to the class. If carbine #1 goes tit's up, you've got a back up.
-If you are new to AR's get a SIMPLE carbine and shoot it in the class.....Many times I have seen shooters show up to a class with all kinds of crap hanging off of their guns and all those accessories give them nothing but problems. Start off with a simple carbine with iron sights, take the Tactical Carbine Course, learn how to operate your gun proficiently, then add accessories as you need them.
-Make sure you have a good sling, I always recommend a 3 point sling to new shooters, and you will probably need a 3 point sling, because most likely you will be doing transition drills (transitioning from your carbine to your pistol)
-Remember keep it simple, take a good quality, factory made AR, good quality USA made ammo, good quality USGI mags, a 3 point sling, a USGI cleaning kit, knee pads, plenty of water, and an open mind!!!